Avis - Avis "Nickel and diming"

I'm afraid I've had it with Avis. My last two rentals with Avis were spoilt by their "nickel and diming".
First rental at EWR. The rental was prepaid and I was caught out with the "fuel charge" whereby they automatically charge you for filling the tank even if you have filled it yourself. Cost 10.50 USD. Didn't notice until I got home and too difficult to complain.
Second rental at YYZ, with return to Toronto downtown. Again a prepaid rental voucher. Again a charge of 3.25 CAD. This time I caught it. I went to the downtown office to complain. Totally unhelpful staff, who said that only the rental location (YYZ) could handle the claim, with no offer to call them and do anything about it. Totally unable to explain what the charge was for. They suggested I contact the travel agency who had sold me the voucher. I explained the agency concerned was called "Avis".:D
Four attempts to call the YYZ office (I thought Avis claimed to answer the phone in less than 3 rings). The location manager finally called me and cleared the matter up and re-credited the charge. I obviously spent far more than that in time and phone calls, but I refuse to let Avis get away with this. Even he was unable to supply a convincing explanation for the charge.
I assume this is a corporate Avis policy, to attach small charges on each rental, and hope they are ignored and forgotten by the clients.

I assume this is a corporate Avis policy, to attach small charges on each rental, and hope they are ignored and forgotten by the clients.

I think you're right. I think there are manuals and manuals that AVIS has that teaches agents how to be deceptive and sneaky on how to take on small charges so that the customers won't notice. Actually,there might be a course in the AVIS learning academy. Graduates of that course, can move on to money laundering and racketeering.

I caught Advantage doing the same thing. I was asked by a group of family members to advise them on rentals for an event. I figured I would give Advantage a try since people were paying on their own dime due to their lower rates. Needless to say Advantage lost out on about 8 rentals from that experience. They did sneak an additional 4 dollars from me. When will rental companies realize it costs them more in the long run to play their games?

First rental at EWR. The rental was prepaid and I was caught out with the "fuel charge" whereby they automatically charge you for filling the tank even if you have filled it yourself. Cost 10.50 USD. Didn't notice until I got home and too difficult to complain.


The fuel charge has been in place for fully two years for U.S. rentals. I guess disappointments - and rentals - are few if this is the first the OP has seen this.

I agree with OP. All I know is that National does not (yet) have this fuel surcharge that they sneak in on you. Now that day may come, but I think it's ridiculous, esp. if you've filled up your gas tank and told them so ("whoops!" they say, "the system automatically does that as a courtesy to our customers"....time to fix that system). I was seriously considering switching from National (as Exec Elite there) to Avis because of a change in my rental patterns, but am sticking with National because I don't want to deal with this every week when I return my car to ORD at 5am Monday. Not worth the hassle.

I agree with OP. All I know is that National does not (yet) have this fuel surcharge that they sneak in on you.

I agree as well. The fuel surcharge sucks, and is a hassle... BUT, I do not believe its corporate policy to intentionally try to screw customers.

The fuel surcharge is posted at the rental counters, on signs in the preferred booths, and almost always a sticker is put over your speedometer/steering wheel. You KNOW (or darn well should) that the charge is there when you rent the car. Hard to say they're trying to sneak it on you.

I agree as well. The fuel surcharge sucks, and is a hassle... BUT, I do not believe its corporate policy to intentionally try to screw customers.

The fuel surcharge is posted at the rental counters, on signs in the preferred booths, and almost always a sticker is put over your speedometer/steering wheel. You KNOW (or darn well should) that the charge is there when you rent the car. Hard to say they're trying to sneak it on you.

None of that was true for my first (and so far only) AVIS rental. I rented from an off-airport location and there were no signs (at least that I saw and I was at the counter for about 10 minutes), and certainly no stickers on my spdmtr/steering wheel or contract...I did read, however, that it is buried somewhere in the Avis Preferred contract, so I can take that. However, to still charge it after specifically having a conversation with the agent about it (because the system automatically does it) is lame. That is my main beef with it and the agent I had....